response.restoration.noaa.gov - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spillhttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill
enClosing Down Damage Assessment After Deepwater Horizonhttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/closing-down-damage-assessment-after-deepwater-horizon.html
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>April 5, 2017 - Federal and state agencies worked quickly to scale up the emergency response, clean up the spill, mount a large-scale effort to assess the injuries to wildlife and other natural resources, and record how these lost resources adversely affected the public. When the cleanup was finished, and the injuries were determined, another challenge came: NOAA and other agencies had to close down the largest damage assessment field operation in the nation’s history. During five years of field studies assessing the injuries to natural resources, more than one hundred thousand samples were collected. Instead of discarding the samples once the assessment was over, and the BP settlement was completed, it made more sense to find other uses for the samples, and the valuable laboratory, field, and office equipment attained during the assessment work. In many cases, the cost of finding new homes for samples and equipment was cheaper than disposal.</p>
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The plankton archive contains over 130,000 samples from 19 different surveys conducted as part of the natural resources damage assessment. Plankton archive located at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Image credit: NOAA </div>
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Repurposing samples and equipment: the work goes on </h5>
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</div><div class="field field-name-field-text-1 field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Shutting down the assessment operations involved clearing out laboratories and warehouses filled with samples, field equipment, and supplies. In most instances, only a portion of each sample was needed for analysis and by the end of 2015, NOAA had an extensive trove of environmental samples. Recognizing that many research scientists might put these samples to good use, NOAA made the materials available by publishing announcements in professional society newsletters. After receiving about one hundred inquiries, staff and contractors began distributing more than 5,000 samples. Additionally, some sample collections were archived in publicly available repositories, with other historical and scientifically valuable collections. Thousands of samples of plankton, fish, and other organisms collected during post-spill trawls in Gulf waters went to a <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/DWH-Plankton-Archive-poster_final-as-of-3_20_2017.pdf"> NOAA archive</a> in Stennis, Mississippi. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. received rare deep-sea corals. Later this year the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/">National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank</a> will host thousands of samples from species of dolphins and other marine mammals found dead after the oil spill. Universities across the United States received samples for research. Sediment samples sent to Florida State University in Tallahassee are supporting studies on the long-term fate of <em>Deepwater Horizon</em> oil deposited on Gulf beaches and in nearshore environments. Researchers at Jacksonville University in Florida are using samples to compare the weathering of tar balls found submerged to tar balls those stranded on land. Additionally, researchers at Texas A&amp;M University obtained samples of the spilled oil for studies of bacteria that biodegrade oil.</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-subtitle-2 field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Finding new homes for scientific instruments and other equipment</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-text-2 field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Field samples were not the only items distributed to advance oil spill science. NOAA shipped hundreds of large and small pieces of equipment to universities and other research partners to aid ongoing investigations about the effects of oil spills on the environment, and the ongoing monitoring of the Gulf environment. Repurposed supplies and equipment found a second life at many institutions including the:</p>
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<li>Dauphin Island Sea Lab</li>
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<li>University of Southern Mississippi</li>
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<li>Texas A &amp; M</li>
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<li>Smithsonian Institution</li>
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</p></ul><p>In addition to laboratory equipment, some university researchers received practical items such as anchors, battery packs, buoys, forceps, freezer packs, glassware, preservatives such as alcohol and formalin, and thermometers. NOAA coordinated with BP to recover and repurpose thousands of items BP purchased for the assessment. While clearing out office buildings and trailers, NOAA staff identified and requested valuable pieces of laboratory and field equipment, and other supplies. Some of these items, such as microscopes, initially cost tens of thousands of dollars. First responders from NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard also received field safety equipment including:</p>
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<li>Pallets of nitrile gloves</li>
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<li>Sorbent boom</li>
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</p></ul><p>All of which support preparedness for future incidents. Countless NOAA staff rose to the enormous challenges of responding to, assessing impacts from, and restoring the natural resources injured by the <em>Deepwater Horizon</em> incident. This work continues, assisted by the creative reuse and repurposing of materials across the country to support ongoing efforts to advance oil spill science and improve preparedness for future spills. Read more about <em>Deepwater Horizon</em> and the work of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and partners in responding to the spill, documenting the environmental damage, and holding BP accountable for restoring injured resources:</p>
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<ul><li><a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/deepwater-horizon-response-midst-historic-crisis.html">Deepwater Horizon: Response in the Midst of an Historic Crisis</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/assessing-impacts-deepwater-horizon.html">Assessing the Impacts from Deepwater Horizon</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/where-find-noaa-information-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">Where to Find OR&amp;R and other NOAA Information on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></li>
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</p></ul><p><em>Greg Baker, Rob Ricker, and Kathleen Goggin of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration contributed to this article.</em></p>
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</div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Closing Down Damage Assessment After Deepwater Horizon</div></div></div>Thu, 30 Mar 2017 19:23:23 +0000annie.archer2273 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govEffects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Sea Turtles and Marine Mammalshttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/effects-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-sea-turtles-and-marine-mammals.html
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Feb. 1, 2017 - The 2010 <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/where-find-noaa-information-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">Deepwater Horizon oil spill</a> resulted in significant environmental harm over a large area of the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent shorelines, and affected numerous species including endangered and threatened sea turtles and protected marine mammals. </p>
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Studies showed dolphins were impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (NOAA) </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-field-text-1 field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>These populations will require significant restoration efforts to offset impacts from the spill. A special issue of <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v33/">Endangered Species Research</a>, published Jan. 31, 2017, features 20 scientific articles summarizing the impacts of the oil spill on marine mammals and sea turtles. The scientific studies, conducted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authors and partners, document the unprecedented mortality rate and long-term environmental impacts of the oil’s exposure and presents a synthesis of more than five years’ worth of data collection, analysis, and interpretation.</p>
<p>Findings from these research studies, in addition to other studies on other parts of the ecosystem, formed the basis of the <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/planning">natural resources damage assessment settlement</a> with BP for up to $8.8 billion. All of the data associated with the settlement is available publicly in the Data Integration Visualization Exploration and Reporting database, but the Endangered Species Research special issue is the first time this information on sea turtles and marine mammals has been compiled together in peer-reviewed scientific publications. Find out more about <a href="https://darrp.noaa.gov/oil-spills/deepwater-horizon-oil-effects-marine-mammals-and-sea-turtles-published-special-issue"><span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> here</a>.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-node-weight field-type-list-integer field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Node Weight:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">11</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Sea Turtles</div></div></div>Tue, 31 Jan 2017 15:46:53 +0000annie.archer2201 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govGulf of Mexico Oil Spill Data: New Monitoring Updateshttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/gulf-mexico-oil-spill-data-new-monitoring-updates.html
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>By Alexis Baldera</em> The <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/where-find-noaa-information-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">2010 Deepwater oil disaster</a> in the Gulf of Mexico revealed a challenge with the way scientific monitoring information is shared and stored. </p>
<!--break--><p> At the time, the scientific records of monitoring efforts in the Gulf of Mexico were dispersed across many entities from universities, natural resource management agencies, private industries to non-governmental organizations. In most cases monitoring systems were developed independently, often narrowed to specific questions, such as how many oysters should be harvested and how many should be left in the water? Monitoring systems are rarely coordinated across states and other agencies, and the scattered nature of these information systems makes it difficult for any one group of scientists or organizations to find and access the full expanse of data available. To help address this issue Ocean Conservancy produced the 2015 report <em><a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/restoring-the-gulf-of-mexico/">Charting the Gulf: Analyzing the Gaps in Long-term Monitoring of the Gulf of Mexico</a></em>. The report compiles an extended inventory of nearly 700 past and existing long-term monitoring efforts in the Gulf. Ocean Conservancy’s goal was to provide scientists, academics, and restoration decision-makers with a cohesive inventory that could save time and money when planning monitoring for restoration projects or programs. Recently, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, charged with supporting science information needs during oil spills, began hosting Ocean Conservancy’s inventory of monitoring programs through NOAA’s map-based <a href="https://erma.noaa.gov/gulfofmexico/erma.html#/view=1738&amp;x=-90.47481&amp;y=28.74137&amp;z=6&amp;layers=1+17363+17366+17358+17359+17455+17362+17456+17369+17360+18185+17457">Gulf of Mexico Environmental Response Management Application</a> (ERMA). Combining this monitoring data with ERMA is a great step towards creating sustained visibility of existing data sources in the Gulf. “Ocean Conservancy’s gap analysis of long-term monitoring programs in the Gulf of Mexico will serve as a valuable resource for the <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/assessment">NRDA Trustees</a> as they plan, implement, and monitor restoration progress in the Gulf of Mexico over the next 25 years,” said Melissa Carle, NOAA Monitoring and Adaptive Management Coordinator, Deepwater Horizon Restoration Program. The new gap analysis dataset in ERMA will allow trustees to visualize the footprint of existing monitoring programs, assisting in the identification and prioritization of gaps that impact planning restoration actions and evaluate restoration progress for the habitats and resources injured by the spill. <em>Alexis Baldera is the Staff Restoration Scientist for <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/restoring-the-gulf-of-mexico/">Ocean Conservancy Gulf Restoration Program</a>.</em> <em>Posted Dec. 20, 2016</em></p>
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Scientists from Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium deploy a water sensor called a CTD sonde rosette to collect water samples to test for oxygen levels during the 2015 R/V Pelican's shelf wide hypoxia cruise. (LUMCON) </div>
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Ocean Conservancy's gap analysis dataset in ERMA. (NOAA) </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Data: New Monitoring Updates</div></div></div>Mon, 19 Dec 2016 20:21:10 +0000annie.archer2165 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govExplore Oil Spill Data for Gulf of Mexico Marine Life With NOAA GIS Toolshttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/explore-oil-spill-data-gulf-mexico-marine-life-noaa-gis-tools.html
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>NOVEMBER 24, 2015 -- In the wake of the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill"><span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill</a>, the sheer amount of data scientists were gathering from the Gulf of Mexico was nearly overwhelming. Everything from water quality samples to the locations of oiled sea turtles to photos of dolphins swimming through oil—the list goes on for more than 13 million scientific records. So, how would anyone even start to dig through all this scientific information? Fortunately, you don't have to be a NOAA scientist to access, download, or even map it. We have been building tools to allow anyone to access this wealth of information on the Gulf of Mexico environment following the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill. We're taking a look at two of our <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/gis.html">geographic information systems</a> tools and how they help scientists, emergency responders, and the public navigate the oceans of environmental data collected since the 2010 <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill. When it comes to mapping and understanding huge amounts of these data, we turn to our GIS-based tool, the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/erma">Environmental Response Management Application, known as ERMA</a><sup>®</sup>. This online mapping tool is like a Swiss army knife for organizing data and information for planning and environmental emergencies, such as oil spills and hurricanes. ERMA not only allows pollution responders to see real-time information, including weather information and ship locations, but also enables users to display years of data, revealing to us broader trends.</p>
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<div align="center"><a href="../../sites/default/files/erma-deepwater-gulf-response-sea-turtles-oiling_noaa_highlight.jpg"><img alt="View of Environmental Response Management Application showing map of Gulf of Mexico with varying probabilities of oil presence and sea turtle oiling during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with data source information." height="344" layer="" src="../../sites/default/files/erma-deepwater-gulf-response-sea-turtles-oiling_noaa_highlight_720.jpg" title="In the " /></a>&#13;<br />
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<div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">In the "Layer" tab on the right side of the screen, you can choose which groups of data, or "layers," to display in ERMA. Right click on a data layer, such as "Turtle Captures Probability of Oiling (NOAA) (PDARP)," and select "View metadata" to view more information about the data being shown. (NOAA) Click to enlarge.</div>
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<p>For instance, say you want to know <a href="https://erma.noaa.gov/erma.html">the likelihood of sea turtles being exposed to heavy oil</a> during the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill. ERMA enables you to see where sea turtles were spotted during aerial surveys or captured by researchers across the Gulf of Mexico between May and September 2010. At the same time, you can view data showing the probability that certain areas of the ocean surface were oiled (and for how long), all displayed on a single, interactive map.</p>
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<div align="center"><a href="../../sites/default/files/erma-deepwater-gulf-response-sea-turtles-oiling-legend_noaa_highlight.jpg"><img alt="View of Environmental Management Application map of Gulf of Mexico showing varying probabilities of oil presence and sea turtle exposure to oil during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with map legend." height="346" src="../../sites/default/files/erma-deepwater-gulf-response-sea-turtles-oiling-legend_noaa_highlight_720.jpg" title="Clicking on the “Legend” tab on the right side of the screen shows you basic information about the data displayed in ERMA. Here, the red area represents portions of the Gulf of Mexico which had the highest likelihood of exposing marine life to oil. Triangles show sea turtle sightings and squares show sea turtle captures between May and September 2010. The color of the symbol indicates the likelihood of that sea turtle receiving heavy exposure to oil. (NOAA)" width="720" /></a>&#13;<br />
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<div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">Clicking on the “Legend” tab on the right side of the screen shows you basic information about the data displayed in ERMA. Here, the red area represents portions of the Gulf of Mexico which had the highest likelihood of exposing marine life to oil. Triangles show sea turtle sightings and squares show sea turtle captures between May and September 2010. The color of the symbol indicates the likelihood of that sea turtle receiving heavy exposure to oil. (NOAA) Click to enlarge.</div>
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<p>Perhaps you want to focus on where Atlantic bluefin tuna were traveling around the Gulf and where that overlaps with the oil spill’s footprint. Or compare coastal habitat restoration projects with the degree of oil different sections of shoreline experienced. ERMA gives you that access. You can use <a href="https://erma.noaa.gov/">ERMA Deepwater Gulf Response</a> to find these data in a number of ways (including search) and choose which GIS "layers" of data to turn on and off in the map. To see the most recently added data, click on the "Recent Data" tab in the upper left of the map interface, or find data by browsing through the "Layers" tab on the right. Or look for data in special "bookmark views" on the lower right of the "Layers" tab to find data for a specific topic of interest. Now, what if you not only want to see a map of the data, what if you also want to explore any trends in the data at a deeper level? Or download photos, videos, or scientific analyses of the data? That’s where our <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/environmental-restoration/environmental-assessment-tools/diver.html">data management tool <abbr title="Data Integration Visualization Exploration and Reporting">DIVER</abbr></a> comes in. This tool serves as a central repository for environmental impact data from the oil spill and was designed to help researchers share and find scientific information ranging from photos and field notes to sample data and analyses. <a href="https://usresponserestoration.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/using-big-data-to-restore-the-gulf-of-mexico/">As Ocean Conservancy’s Elizabeth Fetherston</a> put it:</p>
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<blockquote><p>Until recently, there was no real way to combine all of these disparate pixels of information into a coherent picture of, for instance, a day in the life of a sea turtle.<a href="https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov/"> DIVER, NOAA's new website for <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> assessment data</a>, gives us the tools to do just that. Data information and integration systems like DIVER put all of that information in one place at one time, allowing you to look for causes and effects that you might not have ever known were there and then use that information to better manage species recovery. These data give us a new kind of power for protecting marine species.</p></blockquote>
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<p>One of the most important features of DIVER, called DIVER Explorer, is the powerful search function that allows you to narrow down the millions of data pieces to the precise set you’re seeking. You do it one step, or "filter," at a time.</p>
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<div align="center"><a href="../../sites/default/files/dwh-diver-run-query-box-marine-mammals_noaa.jpg"><img alt="DIVER software dialog box showing how to build a query by workplan topic area for marine mammals studied during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill." height="462" src="../../sites/default/files/dwh-diver-run-query-box-marine-mammals_noaa_720.jpg" title="A view of the step-by-step process of building a query, or specialized search, in our DIVER tool for Deepwater Horizon oil spill environmental impact data. (NOAA)" width="720" /></a>&#13;<br />
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<div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">A view of the step-by-step process of building a "query," or specialized search, in our DIVER tool for Deepwater Horizon oil spill environmental impact data. (NOAA) Click to enlarge.</div>
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<p>For example, when you go to <a href="https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov/explore-the-data">DIVER Explorer</a>, click on "Guided Query" at the top and then "Start to Explore Data," choose "By Workplan Topic Area," hit "Next," and finally select "Mammals" before clicking "Run Query" to access information about scientific samples taken from marine mammals and turtles. You can view it on a map, in a table, or download the data to analyze yourself. An even easier way to explore these data in DIVER, however, is by visiting <a href="https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord">https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord</a> and scrolling down to and clicking on #5 Preassessment/Assessment (§§ 990.40 – 990.45; 990.51). This will reveal a list of various types of environmental impacts—to birds, sea floor habitat, marine mammals, etc.—which the federal government studied as part of the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill's <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/environmental-restoration/natural-resource-damage-assessment.html">Natural Resource Damage Assessment</a>. Say you're interested in marine mammals, so you click on 5.6 <em>Marine Mammal Injury</em> and then 5.6.3 <em>Data sets</em>. You can then download and open the document "<a href="https://pub-dwhdatadiver.orr.noaa.gov/dwh-ar-documents/877/DWH-AR0296432.pdf">NOAA Marine Mammal data related to the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> incident, available through systems such as DIVER and ERMA, or as direct downloads. (September 23, 2015)</a>." Under the section "Data Links," you can choose from a variety of stored searches (or "queries") in DIVER that will show you where and when, for example, <a href="https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov/explore-the-data?p_p_id=48_INSTANCE_ZInmU0rTSFgi&amp;_48_INSTANCE_ZInmU0rTSFgi_iframe_sqid=551">bottlenose dolphins with satellite tags traveled</a> after the spill (tip: zoom in to view this data on the map)—<a href="https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov/explore-the-data?p_p_id=48_INSTANCE_ZInmU0rTSFgi&amp;_48_INSTANCE_ZInmU0rTSFgi_iframe_sqid=516">along with photographs</a> to go with it (tip: click on the "Photos" tab under the map to browse).</p>
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<div align="center"><a href="../../sites/default/files/dwh-diver-map-dolphin-tracking_noaa.jpg"><img alt="Map view of DIVER software map showing where tagged dolphins swam in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill." height="318" src="../../sites/default/files/dwh-diver-map-dolphin-tracking_noaa_720.jpg" title="A map view of DIVER shows where tagged dolphins traveled along the Gulf Coast, showing two populations that stayed in their home bases of Barataria Bay and Mississippi Sound. (NOAA)" width="720" /></a>&#13;<br />
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<div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">A map view of DIVER shows where tagged dolphins traveled along the Gulf Coast, showing two populations that stayed in their home bases of Barataria Bay and Mississippi Sound. (NOAA) Click to enlarge.</div>
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<p>This can tell us key information, such as the fact that certain populations of dolphins stay in the same areas along the coast, meaning they don't travel far from home. We can also look at data about whether those dolphin homes were exposed to a lot of oil, which would suggest that the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/latest-noaa-study-ties-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-spike-gulf-dolphin-deaths.html">dolphins that lived there likely were exposed to oil</a> again and again. Both of these tools allow us to work with incredible amounts of data and see their stories brought to life through the power of geographic information systems. So, go ahead and start exploring!</p>
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A Kemp's Ridley turtle, now cleaned and recuperating, that was oiled during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. NOAA has a number of tools to help you access the huge amount of data about sea turtles and other marine life gathered during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (NOAA) </div>
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Close-up of an oiled Kemp's Ridley turtle captured during a June 1, 2010 survey of the Gulf of Mexico. You can use NOAA tools to find data about turtles sighted and captured in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (NOAA) </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Explore Oil Spill Data With NOAA GIS Tools</div></div></div>Tue, 24 Nov 2015 17:24:08 +0000ashley.braun1708 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govDeepwater Horizon Oil Spill Tied to Further Impacts in Shallower Water Corals, New Study Reportshttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill/deepwater-horizon-oil-spil
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>OCTOBER 26, 2015 -- In the months and years after the 2010 <span class="vessel"><a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill">Deepwater Horizon oil spill</a></span>, damage and poor health were found in a swath of deep-sea coral reefs and related marine life at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Within roughly 16 miles of the leaking wellhead, <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/bottom-gulf-mexico-corals-and-diversity-suffered-after-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">researchers discovered sickened and damaged deep-sea corals</a>, often coated in a clumpy brown material containing petroleum, and the sediments showed evidence of out-of-balance communities of tiny invertebrates inhabiting the seafloor sediments, whose diversity took a nose dive after the spill. Now, a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-015-1363-2">study published in October 2015 in the journal <em>Coral Reefs</em></a> reveals that this footprint of damage also extends to coral communities in shallower Gulf waters, up to 67 miles from the wellhead. In this latest study, researchers from NOAA, Florida State University, and JHT Inc. used video and images from remotely operated vehicles (ROV) to compare the health of corals on hard-bottom reefs in the "mesophotic zone" before and after the oil spill. The mesophotic zone of the ocean receives low levels of light but supports abundant fish, corals, and sponges. The reefs in this study are important sources of habitat, food, and shelter for various marine life. These vibrant reefs also support recreational and commercial fishing for species such as snapper and grouper. Located in a region called the "Pinnacle Trend," they are at the edge of the continental shelf off Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, roughly 200–300 feet below the surface. Previous oil spill studies focused on deep-sea coral communities 4,000 feet under the ocean, located near the leaking wellhead. While the Pinnacle Trend reefs are shallower and more remote, they were below the surface oil slick that persisted for several weeks.</p>
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<h5>What Lies Beneath</h5>
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<p>Three of the largest reefs at Pinnacle Trend—bearing the colorful names Alabama Alps Reef, Roughtongue Reef, and Yellowtail Reef—were located beneath the surface slick of <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil for three to five weeks in the summer of 2010. Located between 35 and 67 miles from the leaking well, corals on the reefs were likely to have been exposed to oil and dispersant that sank from the surface down toward the seafloor. These reefs were measured against two other reef sites more than 120 miles beyond the leaking well and below the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil slick less than three days.</p>
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<div align="center"><img alt="Graphic showing a profile of the Gulf of Mexico's seafloor habitats from shore out to the leaking wellhead." height="248" src="../../sites/default/files/dwh-benthic-profile-gulf-of-mexico-mesophotic-reefs_noaa-sweeney_720.jpg" title="A profile of the Gulf of Mexico seafloor habitats extending from the shore to depths around the Macondo wellhead. The mesophotic coral reefs in this study were located at the edge of the continental shelf. (NOAA/Kate Sweeney)" width="720" /><br /><div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">A profile of the Gulf of Mexico seafloor habitats extending from the shore to depths around the Macondo wellhead. The mesophotic coral reefs in this study were located at the edge of the continental shelf. (NOAA/Kate Sweeney)</div>
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<p>Because researchers had access to ROV footage of these coral reefs dating back as far as 1989, they could directly measure what level of injury could be considered "normal" for each reef. After all, this area of the Gulf is known to be susceptible to impacts from fishing methods that contact the sea bottom. Researchers suspect that fishing was the cause of injuries observed at the two sites far from the spill because lines were wrapped around many of the coral colonies.</p>
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<h5>Not a (Sea) Fan of Damaged Corals</h5>
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<p>The three reefs closer to the wellhead had less evidence of fishing but showed major declines in health after the oil spill in 2010. More than half of the coral colonies at these sites showed signs of damage by 2011, compared with less than 10% before the spill. In comparison, the sites further from the wellhead had no significant change before and after the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill. In addition, injured corals the scientists noted in 2011 continued to deteriorate in the years that followed, "suggesting recovery of injured corals is unlikely," said lead author Dr. Peter Etnoyer of NOAA. Healthy corals noted after the incident in 2011 remained healthy through the end of the study in 2014, suggesting the injured corals would have been healthy but for the spill. The researchers in this most recent study noted significant injuries among at least four species of large gorgonian octocorals (sea fans) in the three impacted reefs. Injuries took the form of overgrowth by hydroids (fuzzy marine invertebrates characteristic of unhealthy corals) and broken or bare branches of coral. To a lesser extent, corals also appeared severely discolored, with eroded polyps, had lost limbs, or toppled over entirely. An earlier study of these mesophotic reefs by some of the same scientists in the journal <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967064515001800">Deep Sea Research</a></em> detected low levels of a petroleum compound known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coral tissues and nearby seafloor sediments. The levels were low compared to sites near the wellhead, but at this point, no one yet has established what constitutes a toxic level of these compounds to marine life in mesophotic coral communities. "The corals of the Pinnacle Trend require decades to reach maturity," said Florida State University scientist Ian MacDonald, who also contributed to the study. "Recovery will require years and it may not be immediately apparent whether the injured colonies are being replaced with new settlements. Our task is to study the process—to learn as much as we can and to ensure that nothing impedes this vital natural process." "The results presented here may vastly underestimate the extent of impacts to mesophotic reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico," the researchers commented, since the reefs in this study represent less than 3 percent of the mesophotic reef habitat that was known to occur beneath the oil slick. "The reefs have some prospects for recovery since many healthy colonies remain," said Etnoyer. NOAA and its partners on this study recommend efforts to protect and restore the Pinnacles Trend reefs in order to conserve the corals and fish along this part of the ocean floor. <em><a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill/noaa-studies-documenting-impacts-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">Learn more about the studies</a> supported by the federal government's <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/environmental-restoration/natural-resource-damage-assessment.html">Natural Resource Damage Assessment</a> for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which determines the environmental harm due to the oil spill and response and seeks compensation from those responsible in order to restore the affected resources.</em></p>
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After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers found significant injuries in at least four species of sea fans along the Gulf's continental shelf. Damage primarily took the form of overgrowth by hydroids (fuzzy marine invertebrates characteristic of unhealthy corals) and broken or bare branches of coral. (Credit: Ian MacDonald/Florida State University) </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-field-node-weight field-type-list-integer field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Node Weight:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">2</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Tied to Further Coral Impacts</div></div></div>Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:30:40 +0000ashley.braun1650 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govAgreement in Principle with BP to Settle Civil Claims for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spillhttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/agreement-principle-bp-settle-civil-claims-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>Total Value of Settlement Would Top $18.7 Billion, the Largest Settlement with a Single Entity in American History </em> <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-attorney-general-loretta-e-lynch-agreement-principle-bp-settle-civil-claims">Read the statement from Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.</a> JULY 6, 2015 -- In order to satisfy United Kingdom and U.S. securities requirements, BP announced on July 2, 2015 that it has reached an agreement in principle with the United States and the five Gulf states to settle the civil claims against the company arising out of the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill"><span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill tragedy</a>. Although the terms are not final or binding until a consent decree is negotiated, undergoes public comment, and secures court approval, BP has provided information on the financial terms of the agreement. BP has announced the value of the settlement to be approximately $18.7 billion. The principle financial terms of the agreement are as follows:</p>
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<ul><li>A $5.5 billion Clean Water Act penalty, 80% of which will go to restoration efforts in the affected states pursuant to a Deepwater-specific statute, the RESTORE Act. This is the largest civil penalty in the history of environmental law.</li>
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<li>$8.1 billion in natural resource damages (this includes $1 billion BP already committed for early restoration). BP will also pay an additional $700 million specifically to address any future natural resource damages unknown at the time of the agreement and assist in adaptive management needs. The natural resource damages money will fund gulf restoration projects as designated by the federal and state natural resource damage trustees.</li>
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<li>$5.9 billion to settle claims by state and local governments for economic damages they have suffered as a result of the spill.</li>
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<li>A total of $600 million for other claims, including claims for reimbursement of natural resource damage assessment costs and other unreimbursed federal expenses due to this incident.</li>
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<li>The payments to the United States will be made over time, with interest, and will be subject to parent company guarantees with BP Corporation North America Inc. as the primary guarantor and BP P.L.C. as the secondary guarantor.</li>
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</p></ul><p>A final agreement will take the form of a proposed consent decree that will be submitted for public comment and then court approval. The process of getting from the current agreement in principle to a proposed consent decree likely will take several months. <strong>If approved, this will be the largest environmental settlement in the history of the United States, and the largest civil settlement with a single entity ever by the Department of Justice. </strong>By providing a steady stream of funds during the next 15 years for restoration of natural resources and enhancement of the economies and communities of the Gulf Region, the settlement will provide lasting and significant benefits to the people and environment of the Gulf States who were most directly impacted by this tragic event. This agreement is the result of vigorous litigation by Department of Justice, together with the support of many federal agencies: particularly the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Agriculture.</p>
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BP will pay more than $8.1 billion in natural resource damages resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This money will fund gulf restoration projects as designated by the federal and state natural resource damage trustees, which include NOAA. </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-field-node-weight field-type-list-integer field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Node Weight:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">2</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Settling Civil Claims for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</div></div></div>Mon, 06 Jul 2015 20:34:31 +0000ashley.braun1506 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govLatest NOAA Study Ties Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill to Spike in Gulf Dolphin Deathshttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/latest-noaa-study-ties-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-spike-gulf-dolphin-deaths.html
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>MAY 20, 2015 -- What has been causing the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/wake-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-gulf-dolphins-found-sick-and-dying-larger-numbers-ever.">alarming increase in dead bottlenose dolphins along the northern Gulf of Mexico</a> since the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill in the summer of 2010? Independent and government scientists <a href="http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/20150520-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-contributed-to-high-number-of-gulf-dolphin-deaths.html">have found even more evidence</a> connecting these deaths to the same signs of illness found in animals exposed to petroleum products, as reported <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0126538">in the peer-reviewed online journal <em>PLOS ONE</em></a>. This latest study uncovered that an unusually high number of dead Gulf dolphins had what are normally rare lesions on their lungs and hormone-producing adrenal glands. The timing, location, and nature of the lesions support that oil compounds from the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill caused these lesions and contributed to the high numbers of dolphin deaths within this oil spill’s footprint. "This is the latest in a series of peer-reviewed scientific studies, conducted over the five years since the spill, looking at possible reasons for the historically high number of dolphin deaths that have occurred within the footprint of the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> spill," said Dr. Teri Rowles, one of 22 contributing authors on the paper, and head of <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/">NOAA's Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program</a>, which is charged with determining the causes of <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/">unusual mortality events</a>. "These studies have increasingly pointed to the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons as being the most significant cause of the illnesses and deaths plaguing the Gulf's dolphin population," said Dr. Rowles.</p>
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<h5>A System out of Balance</h5>
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<p>In this study, one in every three dead dolphins examined across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama had lesions affecting their adrenal glands, resulting in a serious condition known as "adrenal insufficiency." The adrenal gland produces hormones—such as cortisol and aldosterone—that regulate metabolism, blood pressure and other bodily functions. "Animals with adrenal insufficiency are less able to cope with additional stressors in their everyday lives," said Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, the study's lead author and veterinary epidemiologist at the National Marine Mammal Foundation, "and when those stressors occur, they are more likely to die." Earlier studies of Gulf dolphins in areas heavily affected by the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill found initial signs of this illness in a <a href="https://usresponserestoration.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/gulf-dolphins-health-bp-oil-spill/">2011 health assessment of dolphins living in Barataria Bay, Louisiana</a>. NOAA scientists Dr. Rowles and Dr. Lori Schwacke spoke about the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/study-shows-gulf-dolphins-poor-health-following-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html/">results of this health assessment in a 2013 interview</a>: "One rather unusual condition that we noted in many of the Barataria Bay dolphins was that they had very low levels of some hormones (specifically, cortisol) that are produced by the adrenal gland and are important for a normal stress response. Under a stressful condition, such as being chased by a predator, the adrenal gland produces cortisol, which then triggers a number of physiological responses including an increased heart rate and increased blood sugar. This gives an animal the energy burst that it needs to respond appropriately. In the Barataria Bay dolphins, cortisol levels were unusually low. The concern is that their adrenal glands were incapable of producing appropriate levels of cortisol, and this could ultimately lead to a number of complications and in some situations even death."</p>
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<h5>Swimming with Pneumonia</h5>
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<div align="center"><img alt="Boats with nets to capture dolphins in the ocean." height="540" src="../../sites/default/files/boats-with-nets-dolphin-health-assessment_noaa_720.jpg" title="An earlier study described health examinations on live dolphins in Barataria Bay, one of the heaviest oiled parts of the Gulf of Mexico, in 2011, which found evidence of poor health, adrenal disease, and lung disease consistent with petroleum product exposure. (NOAA)" width="720" /><br /><div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">An earlier study described health examinations on live dolphins in Barataria Bay, one of the heaviest oiled parts of the Gulf of Mexico, in 2011, which found evidence of poor health, adrenal disease, and lung disease consistent with petroleum product exposure. (NOAA)</div>
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<p>In addition to the lesions on adrenal glands, the scientific team discovered that more than one in five dolphins that died within the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill footprint had a primary bacterial pneumonia. Many of these cases were unusual in severity, and caused or contributed to death.</p>
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<div class="node-image" style="width: 365px"><img alt="Ultrasounds showing a normal dolphin lung, compared to lungs with mild, moderate, and severe lung disease." src="../../sites/default/files/dolphin-lung-ultrasounds_noaa_final.gif" style="width: 365px; height: 360px" title="Ultrasounds showing a normal dolphin lung, compared to lungs with mild, moderate, and severe lung disease. These conditions are consistent with exposure to oil compounds and were found in bottlenose dolphins living in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, one of the most heavily oiled areas during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (NOAA)" /><br /><div class="node-image-caption" style="width: 365px">Ultrasounds showing a normal dolphin lung, compared to lungs with mild, moderate, and severe lung disease. These conditions are consistent with exposure to oil compounds and were found in bottlenose dolphins living in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, one of the most heavily oiled areas during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (NOAA)</div>
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<p>Drs. Rowles and Schwacke previously had observed significant problems in the lungs of dolphins living in Barataria Bay. <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/study-shows-gulf-dolphins-poor-health-following-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">Again, in 2013, they had noted</a>, "In some of the animals, the lung disease was so severe that we considered it life-threatening for that individual." In other mammals, exposure to petroleum-based polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, known as PAHs, through inhalation or aspiration of oil products can lead to injured lungs and altered immune function, both of which can increase an animal's susceptibility to primary bacterial pneumonia. Dolphins are particularly susceptible to inhalation effects due to their large lungs, deep breaths, and extended breath hold times. Learn more about <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill/noaa-studies-documenting-impacts-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill.html">NOAA research documenting the impacts from the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill</a> and <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill">find more stories reflecting on the five years since this oil spill</a>.</p>
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<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/13/group-of-dolphins-fins-at-surface_noaa_980.jpg" width="500" height="360" alt="Group of dolphin fins at ocean surface." title="A study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that an unusually high number of dead Gulf dolphins had what are normally rare lesions on their lungs and hormone-producing adrenal glands, which are associated with exposure to oil compounds. (NOAA)" /> <div class="node-image-caption">
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that an unusually high number of dead Gulf dolphins had what are normally rare lesions on their lungs and hormone-producing adrenal glands, which are associated with exposure to oil compounds. (NOAA) </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-field-node-weight field-type-list-integer field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Node Weight:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">4</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-2 field-type-image field-label-hidden">
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<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/13/lung-ultrasound-dolphin-health-assessment_noaa_356.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="People taking an ultrasound of a dolphin&#039;s lungs." title="Using ultrasound to examine the lungs of live dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. &quot;These dolphins had some of the most severe lung lesions I have seen in the over 13 years that I have been examining dead dolphin tissues from throughout the United States,&quot; said Dr. Kathleen Colegrove, the study&#039;s lead veterinary pathologist based at the University of Illinois." /> <div class="node-image-caption">
Using ultrasound to examine the lungs of live dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. "These dolphins had some of the most severe lung lesions I have seen in the over 13 years that I have been examining dead dolphin tissues from throughout the United States," said Dr. Kathleen Colegrove, the study's lead veterinary pathologist based at the University of Illinois. </div>
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</div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Site Themes:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Deepwater Horizon Spill Tied to Spike in Dolphin Deaths</div></div></div>Wed, 20 May 2015 17:16:26 +0000ashley.braun1438 at https://response.restoration.noaa.govNOAA Launches New Data Management Tool for Public Access to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Datahttps://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/noaa-launches-new-data-management-tool-public-access-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-data.ht
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>MAY 4, 2015 -- A flexible new data management tool—known as DIVER and developed by NOAA to support the <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/environmental-restoration/natural-resource-damage-assessment.html">Natural Resource Damage Assessment</a> for the 2010 <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill"><span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill</a>—is now available for public use. <a href="../../environmental-restoration/environmental-assessment-tools/diver.html">DIVER</a> stands for "Data Integration, Visualization, Exploration and Reporting," and it can be accessed at <a href="https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov/">dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov</a>. DIVER was <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/noaa-builds-tool-hold-unprecedented-amounts-data-studying-unprecedented-oil-spill.html">developed as a digital data warehouse</a> during the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> oil spill response effort and related damage assessment process, which has required collecting and organizing massive amounts of scientific data on the environmental impacts of the spill. The tool serves as a centralized data repository that integrates diverse environmental data sets collected from across the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. It allows scientists from different organizations and laboratories located across the country to upload field data, analyses, photographs, and other key information related to their studies in a standardized format. DIVER thus brings together all of that validated information into a single, web-based tool. In addition, DIVER provides unprecedented flexibility for filtering and downloading validated data collected as part of the ongoing damage assessment efforts for the Gulf of Mexico. The custom query and mapping interface of the tool, "DIVER Explorer," provides both a data filter and review tools, which allow users to refine how they look for data and explore large data sets online. Query results are presented in an interactive dashboard, with a map, charts, table of results, metadata (data about the data), and sophisticated options for exporting the data.</p>
<div align="center"><img alt="View of DIVER Explorer map and query results for environmental impact data in the Gulf of Mexico." height="683" src="../../sites/default/files/diver-dwh-dashboard-screen-shot_noaa_720.png" title="A view of DIVER Explorer query results shown in an interactive dashboard. (NOAA)" width="720" /><div style="width: 720px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8em;">A view of DIVER Explorer query results shown in an interactive dashboard. (NOAA)</div>
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<p>In addition to the DIVER Explorer query tools, this website presents a detailed explanation of our data management approach, an explanation of field definitions and codes used in the data warehouse, and a robust help section. Currently, DIVER provides access to nearly 4 million validated results of analytical chemistry from over 50,000 samples of water, tissue, oil, and sediment collected by federal, state, academic, and nongovernmental organizations to support the <span class="vessel">Deepwater Horizon</span> damage assessment. As additional data sets become publicly available they will be accessible through the DIVER Explorer tool. Read the <a href="http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/20150504-noaa-announces-new-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-searchable-database-web-tool.html">announcement of this tool's public launch from the NOAA website</a>.</p>
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<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/13/dwh-launching-water-sampler-from-henry-bigelow_noaa_980.jpg" width="500" height="360" alt="Two people launch a water column sampling device off the side of a ship." title="Launching a device to take measurements in the water column during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. NOAA built the online tool DIVER to organize and provide access to these scientific data and the many others collected in the wake of the spill. (NOAA)" /> <div class="node-image-caption">
Launching a device to take measurements in the water column during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. NOAA built the online tool DIVER to organize and provide access to these scientific data and the many others collected in the wake of the spill. (NOAA) </div>
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